History Book Club

Steven Spielberg's 1993 masterpiece is hugely influential even today. His adaptation of the Thomas Keneally's Booker Prize winning Schindler's Ark, filmed in black and white, brought the Holocaust to a mass audience.

Joining Ollie to discuss the film are Roger Moorhouse and Tim Hewitt, and they look into the history, the filmmaking process and much more.

Links Discussed

The Forgers: The Forgotten Story of the Holocaust’s Most Audacious Rescue Operation, by Roger Moorhouse

Spielberg interview on the film and girl in the red coat

Ralph Fiennes interview on the bath scene

Ralph Fiennes interview on the SS uniform

Ollie on X

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Roger on X

Tim on X

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On the 2nd September 1942 in Loch Ewe, Scotland, a large convoy of ships carrying food, ammunition, tanks, artillery pieces and materiel set sail for Archangel, Russia. This convoy would be of vital importance to the Soviet troops fighting the Nazis at Stalingrad.

The Germans did all they could to disrupt and destroy the ships of the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, and many of the green recruits, at sea for the first time, had the freezing weather conditions to deal with as well as the enemy.

John McKay joins to discuss the horrors experienced by the crew members of PQ18.

John McKay Links

Arctic Convoy PQ18: 25 Days That Changed the Course of the War

Ice on Deck

SS Mary Luckenbach explodes

John on X

Ollie Links

Ollie on X

Clash of Empires: The Anglo-Ashanti Wars - Aspects of History

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Gordon returns to discuss those WW1 Commanders that lost out to Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. Plenty of talent here, and some less so, however we start off with Alanbrooke as he was barely discussed in the previous episode.

The list

Admiral Jellicoe

Admiral Beatty

General Wilson

General Plumer

General Chetwode

General Allenby

Major TE Lawrence

General Maude

Field Marshal Robertson (the Editor's favourite)

Gordon Corrigan Links

Mud, Blood and Poppycock: Britain and the Great War

Douglas Haig: Defeat Into Victory

Ollie Links - Get in Touch

Ollie on X/Twitter

[email protected]

Links Discussed

Spy Masters podcasts - Aspects of History

Are there foxes in South Africa? Get in touch: [email protected]

Great Hatred: The Assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP

Rules Restaurant

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You've read the story of Jesse James

Of how he lived and died.

If you're still in need;

Of something to read,

Here's the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

So wrote Bonnie Parker, partner to Clyde Barrow and the famous couple that attracted fans, headlines, cops and in the end, bullets.

Ollie and Tim discuss the iconic film and include the regular categories including Simon Baker Award for Best Performance, and the Argo Award for Most Inaccurate Scene.

Links Discussed

Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie's Poetry

The book to read

Ollie on X

Tim on X

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On the 22nd July 1934 John Dillinger left a movie theatre in Chicago having just enjoyed the Clark Gable film, Manhattan Melodrama. He didn't get far before FBI agents shot him four times - the era of the romantic bank robber was over - or was it? Johnny Depp's portrayal of Dillinger is iconic, even if we think the legacy rating of Public Enemies is low.

Also starring Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Billy Crudup, Stephen Lang, Branka Katic, Stephen Dorff, David Wenham and James Russo, Tim Hewitt and Ollie think it's a movie overlooked.

Links discussed

Public Enemies

The book on which PE is based

Ollie on X

Tim on X

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We've ignored the suitcase from Sepp Blatter bulging with cash and returned to football's roots to discuss the origins in England, the class system, the rise of the working class and the might Preston North End side of 1888/89 - thought Arsene Wenger did it first with the Invincibles and diet? Well you'd be wrong - it was PNE under William Sudell.

We also look at public (private) schools - click here for the rules of Harrow Football (still played today), transport, technology and the two world wars, plus a rant about VAR.

Gavin Mortimer Links

A History of Football in 100 Objects

Gavin's latest book, 2SAS

Gavin on X

Ollie Links

Growing Up with Delia Burgess

Ollie on X

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Early on the morning of 7th December 1941, Japanese fighters, dive bombers and torpedo planes descended on the port of Pearl Harbor, the headquarters of the American Pacific Fleet. Within minutes the balance of power had changed, and four days later Hitler declared war on the US.

Alan Bardos joins to discuss the attack, the intelligence failures leading up to it, Japanese and American antagonism beforehand and Taranto, the template the Japanese followed in their plans.

Alan Bardos Links

Rising Tide

Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? - Aspects of History

USS Arizona goes down

Alan on X

The Kappillan of Malta, by Nicholas Monsarrat

Ollie Links

Ollie on X

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We discuss medieval Japan in today's episode, in preparation for the new TV show, Shogun. Professor of Japanese History Frederik Cryns joins to discuss the practice of suicide - Seppuku, the clash of cultures as Japan was visited by Portuguese merchants, Jesuits and in 1600, the first Brit: William Adams.

Links Discussed

Shogun

In the Service of the Shogun: The Real Story of William Adams, by Frederik Cryns

Seppuku

Ollie on X

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In May 1940 the Sadler's Wells Ballet Company took the brave, or as some might think foolhardy, decision to go on tour to mainland Europe, several months after the outbreak of World War Two. The result was a hasty retreat from the Netherlands as the Germans invaded.

Lucy Ashe joins to talk about the evolution of Ballet from the royal courts of Europe to Versailles and the Sun King, Louis XIV, to the Ballet Russe as the Russians came to dominate. Margot Fonteyne, Ninette de Valois and Rudolf Nureyev all feature.

Lucy Ashe Links

Sleeping Beauties

Clara & Olivia

Documentary on BBC iPlayer: The Magic of Dance

Lucy on X

Lucy on Instagram

Ollie Links

Aspects of History - Annual Subscription under £10

Ollie on X

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Bonaparte: Greatest Frenchman or Corsican Ogre? Progressive or reactionary? Louis Sarkozy, the author of a new book on Napoleon, joins to discuss his image in France, Russia, Prussia and England; attempts to cancel him; and his love of reading.

We at Aspects of History are fascinated by the man who invited both scorn and admiration from Britain, as well as fear and respect throughout Europe. Thousands of books have been written about him, but do we really understand him?

Louis Sarkozy Links

Napoleon's Library

Louis' website

Louis on X

Aspects of History Links

Episode on Ridley Scott's Napoleon

Episode on Napoleon's Invasion of Russia

Ollie on X

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